The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-12-14
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

THE United States supreme Court has rem
dered decision sustaining the State in the
Kansas prohibition cases The ef,ct OF this
opinion is to declare valid ths prohibition
laws Of tho State of Kansas, AMI is of course
q decided victory for the ProhIbitionist4
The decision is very importlnt, and likely to
be far-reachlng III its consequences The
judgment of the court was pronounced in a
long and elaborate opinion by Nh. Justice
Har.an
The Justice sal Il had been held repeatedly
THAI the reht OF state TO regulate the sale OF
IL, nor did not invade the constitutional rights
of the citizen. 1t WAS commended, however, ho
Said thut no State Legislature had right TO
liquor for his own use or for export, for the rea-
sol that IL was an invasion OF tho personal
liberty Inherent i'll citizens. 1t must be OBJ
served. however, he said, that the right to man.
ufacture drink for ones sub
ject to the restriction that it should not njuri-
ously affect the public. The right to determine
what was INJURIOUS had to exist somew here,
and the right of determining what measures
were necessary for the preservation OF the public
morals, health and safety had heretofore been
vested in the States by the constitutional right
given them under the police powor to regulate
their own internal concerns While this police
power could not be abused and must only be
exercised for objects OF real merit, this court
would certainly not say that tho liquor traffic
not one which the State could lawfully
prohibit, because it was well known that the
abuse of intoXicants was productive OF pauper-
ism and crime. The next ground OF contention.
the Justice said was, that AS the bre weries had
been erected prior to the passage of the prohibi-
ton law, and they were OF little except for
lreweries, their property was taAen without
due process of law in violation OF the Consti-
tuition But all property under form Of
government, he held, was subject TO the
obligat on that it slo'ld not he used
as TO injuriously afoct the rights OF the COM
munity, ana thereby become II nuisance Tho
State OF Kansas had right TO prohibit tho
liquor traffic. 1t did not thereby take away tho
the property of brewers. 1t simply abated u
nuisance. The property was not taken away
from its owners; they were only prohibited
from using it for a specific purpose, which the
Legislature declared to be injurious to the
community.
Justice Field concurred in the opinion so
far as it related to the two cases in which tho
State of Kansas was defendant
He agreed. he said to SO much OF the opinion
as sustains the validity of the act OF Kansas
prohibiting the sale of intoXicants which are
manufactured in tho State after the passage OF
the act. He was not prepared, however, to say
that the prohibition of the manufacture of such
liquors, il intended for expectation. can be sus-
tanned, nor that the State can forbid the sale
under proper regulations for tho protection OF
the health and morals OF the people
OF ol., any article which Congress may
not ready to admit that New York or any
other coast State can thus defeat act Of Con-
gross. Neither could he concur in the validity
OF the thirteenth section of the prohib act
of Kansas, because he believed it authorized
the destruction OF property without due process
OF law. He could not see upon what principle
the Legislature, after closing the brewery can
order the destruction of liquor which il admits
may DO valuable for medical or mechanical pur-
poses nor could he sec why the protection OF
tho morals of the State required the destruc.
ton OF bottles and other utensils after the
liquor had been emptied from them.
FROM the annual report of Secretary Of War
Endicott, which is a very lengthy document
we CLEAN the following points:
The expenditures the department for the
last fiscal year amounted 10 sll,3sG l55, while
tho estimates Tor the next fiscal year will nggre-
gate s53,33e,7lO. An increase is demanded on
account OF public works, including river and
harbor improvements, and for the military
establishment and tie army and military
academy. the secretary strongly approves OF
the recommendation contained in General
Sheridans report touching the extern
sion OF all possible aid by the General
Government To the national guard of the
different States and suggesting system Of ma
tional encampment for state militia at tue
tire expense of the National Government At
tenton is called TO the fact that the Puclhc
coast Is destitute OF fortihcations, guns and
armament Of every description, while San Fran
cisco is without u single gun which can DO fired
with safety with the present charges OF powder
and modern projectiles. Favorable indorse-
ment Is also given to the Lieutenant
Generals recommendation that the present
strength of the navy 10 increased by
9,OO men and particular attention is called to
the Importance of al Increase OF the artillery.
In concluding his report the Secretary says:
"A he result OF tho examinations for promotion
under the ciyil-sorvice regulations which were
applied To the war department in May we're
satisfactory. The total number OF clerks ex-
amined was l,Ol4, of whom 9j3, or 95 per cent,
pissed, and of this number 3D3 or 33 per cent,
obtained an average ab( We % per cent nifty
one, or per cent, failed TO pass, their average
being less than 10 per cent
The annual report OF Attorney General Gar
land gives fu.l account of the business of
the Department of Justice during the last
fiscal year, together with statistics of crime
against the United States:
The number OF ordinary suits now pending in
the Court OF Claims Is lilo. involving the